Target game



Jan. 7,1936. s. GRAF 2,o26,s31

TARGET GAME Filed May 14, 1934 INVENTOR Sey@ Graf ATTQR N EYS Y PatentedJan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES TARGET GAME l Steve Graf, Detroit, Mich. i

Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,563

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-402) The present invention pertains to a novelamusement device and has as its primary object to provide a targetsimulating a hen and mechanism associated therewith which functions totrip a release mechanism controlling a magazine containing balls orobjects resembling eggs when the hen shaped target is struck on the headby a thrown missile such as a baseball, and thus to simulate the actionof a hen laying an egg.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a target which isshaped to resemble a hen, or other fowl or bird, the bodyand head beingconstructed of material capable of withstanding the impact of thrownmissiles and the head being pivotally associated with the body andconnected to a trip mechanism for releasing balls or objects resemblingeggs and also connected with movable elements carrying feathers so thatwhen the head is struck by a thrown missile it causes the trip mechanismto be actuated to release a ball and the movable elements to move thefeathers to provide a realistic simulation of a hen laying an egg.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a targetresembling a hen and having a pivotally supported head which is adaptedto actuate a tripping mechanism whenstruck by a thrown missile andretarding means associated with the head to cause it to slowly return toits 3o normal inoperative I position. The retarding means is provided toslow the action of resilient means for returning the head to its normalposition for the purpose of insuring the release of a ball or otherobject by the tripping mechanism and also to cause the movement to morenaturally simulate the action of a hen.

With the above and other ends in view reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing in which,

Figure l is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sections taken on the lines 4-4 and 5 5respectively, of Figs. 2 and 3,

and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse cross section illustrating thefeather supporting elements.

The numeral l designates the target body which is shaped to resemble ahen but it is to be 5o understood that this particular exemplificationis by Way of example only and that the body might well be formed toresemble other fowls or birds. Secured to the back edges of the body Iby removable securing elements 2` is a back plate 3.

55 Bearings 4 are secured to the back` plate 3 and rotatably support ashaft 5. Attached to the shaft 5 is an arm 6 to which is secured atarget part 'I resembling the head of the hen. Secured to the back plate3 is a bumper element 8, the purpose of which is to limit the amount ofpivotal 5"-u movement of the head 1, it being obvious that the head maypivot by rotating the shaft 5. A coiled spring Il has one'end secured asat I0 toone of the bearings 4 and its other end secured to a collar onthe end of shaft 5 and functions to resiliently l0`=' urge the head tothe upright position which may be observed more clearly in Fig. 4.

Extending outwardly from the shaft 5 and through a slot in the backplate 3 is a lever I2. The lever I2 is connected by a rod I3 to a pis-15 ton I 4 in a cylinder I5. This construction obviously comprises awell known dash pot and functions to slow the rotation of shaft 5resulting from the urge of spring 9 after the head has been moved awayfrom its erect position shown in 20 Fig. 4.

, Extending into the body I through an opening I6 in the back plate 3 isa tubular magazine I1 adapted to receive balls I8. Mounted adjacent tothe outlet end I9 of the magazine is a trip 25 member consisting of aspring pressed plunger 20 and spaced therefrom approximately a distancecorresponding to the diameter of the balls is another trip mechanismcomprising a spring retracted plunger 2I. 'I'he plungers 2i) and 2l are30 connected to a rocking lever 22 on opposite sidesV of its pivot 23 sothat when lever 22 is rocked the plunger 20 moves upwardly and theplunger 2l downwardly. To rock the lever 22 there is provided a lever 24extending from the shaft 5 35 and through a slot in the back plate 3 toengage the end of lever 22.

Mounted above and below the outlet end I9 of the magazine are rollers 25and 26 respectively.

A link 2'I is connected to a lever 28 on shaft 5 40 and the two rollersare connected together by a link 29 so thatwhen lever 28 is rockedbecause of rotation of shaft 5 the link 21 causesroller 25 to bepartially rotated and the link 29 causes roller 26 to be partiallyrotated in a direction 45 opposite to the movement of roller 25. Mountedon rollers 25 and 26 are clusters of feathers 30.

In use, a plurality of the above described targets are arranged onsuitable stands so that missiles may be thrown at them. When a thrownmissile -strikes the head 'l the head is caused to move pivotally and inso doing rotates the shaft 5 and stores energy in the spring 9. Rotationof shaft 5 moves lever 24 which in turn causes the rocking lever 22 torock on its pivot so as to raise 55 tion opposite to that of roller 25.

this time; held against movement by the plunger 2|. Therefore only oneball I8 may be released by one rotative movement 'of the shaft 5.Y

Simultaneously With the above described action the lever 28 is rockedand through link 21 causes the roller 25 to be partially rotated.Movement of roller 26 causes a similar amount of rotation of roller 26through link 29 which is arranged so that the movement of roller 26 isin a direc- This movement of the rollers 25 and 26 causes the clustersof feathers 30 to be spread apart so that the ball, which is at thistime released as above described, is free to pass between the clusters.

After the above described operation takes place the spring 9 tends toreturn the shaft to a position where the head1 is erect. This movementis retarded sufciently by the action of the dashpot in order toinsure'release of a ball and in order to cause the movement of the headtoward its normal position to be at a slow rate.

Although a specific embodiment of the present inventionhas beenillustrated and described it isrto be understood that various changesmay be made Within the scope of the appended claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.V

What I claim is:- 1. In a target formed to resemble an egg-layinganimal, a part resembling the head of said animal, means for supportingsaid head part whereby it moves as a result of impact of a thrownmissile, means for receiving objects, a trip mechanism for releasingsaid objects, means connecting said head to said release mechanismwhereby movement of said head actuates said release mechanism, clustersof feathers movably supported so that a released object passes betweenthe same, and means operatively connecting said head and clusters offeathers so that movement of said headrspreads said clusters to permit aball to pass therebetween.

2. In a target, a hollow body containing a magazine and a trip mechanismfor releasing objects from said magazine, a rockable element, a radiallyextending member on said rockable element, a target element on saidradially extending member, a radially extending element on said rockableelement operatively connected to said trip mechanism, movable elementssupported adjacent to the discharge end of said magazine, and a radiallyextending member on said rockable element operatively connected to saidmovable elements.

3. A target comprising relatively independent head and trunk portionsformed to resemble the body of an egg-laying animal, means forsupporting said head on said trunk portion whereby impact of a thrownmissile therewith causes movement thereof, a magazine in said trunkportion with its discharge end disposed adjacent to an opening in saidtrunk portion, a trip mechanism for releasing objects from saidmagazine, means operatively connecting said first named means with saidtrip mechanism whereby movement of said head causes actuation of saidtrip mechanism, means for movably supporting feathers in a positionobstructing the ,opening in said trunk portion, and means connectingsaid rst and last named means whereby movement of said head causesmovement of the said feathers.

STEVE GRAF.

